


Game Changer

by stillinsik



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Baseball, Cheating, Drama, F/M, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-19
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillinsik/pseuds/stillinsik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall Horan is an up and coming baseball player in the United States. Miranda Clark is one of the most respected publishers in the world. What happens when she realizes that Niall is hiding something? She will send her new employee Allison Hasting to go undercover to get the secret from him before anyone else. The only problem with this is--that Niall's secret could make him or destroy him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Game Changer

**Author's Note:**

> I've posted this story one before on my tumblr (stillinsik), but then I decided to take it down for various reasons. After revistiing it and making some changes, I have decided to most it again. It will be posted on here and my tumblr account (stillinsik).

Running late on a day that Miranda Clark called a major meeting was one of Ali’s worst nightmares ever, and one that she tried to avoid at all cost. However, today was not the case at all. Coffee in hand, bag falling down her arm, the weight pulling her elbow downwards, and the click of her heels against the tile as she tried to run the fast she could. She could hear the whisper coming from certain co-workers as she passed them, knowing that they were talking about her running late.

 

Juggling her coffee in one hand, Ali opened one of the huge glass doors to the conference room. People had their nose in their phones, others were doodling on a small note pad, and only a couple of eyes fell on her. Greeting them with a small smile, she took one of the last seats in the middle of the table of the fairly, large conference room. Coffee placed on the table, she let her bag slide off the rest of her arm and onto the floor next her. Wiggling ever so slightly in her seat to straighten her skit as a couple of more people walked in. One sat down beside her leaving the other seat totally empty, and in perfect view of Miranda when she would walk in. Clatter of pends and notepads leaving people’s bags and landing on the top broke the silence in the room. Her eyes darted around the room, it was very clear that it wasn’t their first rodeo with Miranda and her spontaneous meetings. However, it was Ali’s first, and that was enough to make her nervous.

Miranda Clark was the greatest editor’s in chief of one of the finest publishing companies in New York City. She was middle age, fierce, always wore heels and red lipstick that made her complexion look flawless with her sliver hair. However, it was not the appearance of Miranda that had given her the respect that she gained. It was the stare that she would give you if you disagreed with her or disappointed her. It was enough to make you feel like she was taking over your soul and enough to make you cry if stood there long enough. Miranda was tough, but she was good at her, and everyone at work and other companies around the world knew this.

Then there was Ali, a recent college graduate six months ago. Someone who couldn’t tell you her left from her right, or just how much pressure goes into having the right outfit for an event. But she was someone who took the time to curl her auburn hair before work, put together a decent outfit for her job, and apply lipstick before leaving the house. It must have been enough to impress Miranda to let her sit in on this meeting—because Miranda Clark doesn’t just let anyone or a newbie sit in on an important meeting.

Ali knew this, and she knew that was why everyone was mumbling as she walked past them this morning. People who had been working here for years did not have the amount of trust or whatever Miranda was looking for to sit in on a meeting that did not include the whole office. She had only interned with Miranda for a six week period during the last semester of her senior year. However, it was enough to land her a full time job of fetching coffee, mail, and other goods that Miranda needed done. Everyone was much older than her, minus the interns, but there were only a handful of them. Which mean that everyone in that room had more experience than her, and knew what was expected in one of these meetings.

_Shit. What if I’m getting fired in front of everyone? I haven’t even had my major breakout story yet? Because that is totally something that Miranda would do._

It was the only thought that ran through Ali’s head. She knew that Miranda was known for firng people in meetings. Embarrassing them as she tore them down and promised that they would never work in this industry again. For the stories that she had heard were all of Miranda firing someone under the age of 25. Which is exactly Ali fell, being at the young age of twenty-two.

Her thoughts were rattles as the sound of Miranda's heels clicking against the tile floor of the hallway echoed into the room. The only thing that you could hear in that office was her shoes, and if someone dared to drop a pen. It was like everyone froze what they were doing when Miranda would finally come out of hiding. People avoided her, ducking into rooms, or dropping their head to their computer screen. It wasn’t something that Ali would blame people for doing. She had done it before as well.

The same doors that Ali had just walked in, swung open again, and the sound of heels clicking against the tile intensified greatly. Without making eye contact with anyone, Miranda threw a stack of papers onto the table while passing by. Hands reached for the papers, taking one and passing them down. Ali waited until the ruffling of the papers, and everyone was sitting back down to grab one. Miranda turned around, her eyes falling on Ali, which was enough for her to go still and fall back into her seat.

Ali glanced down at the paper, the sight of a very handsome guy on it distracted her from Miranda’s attention. Blonde hair just barley visible under a royal blue baseball cap, but his eyes were crystal blue stood out. No smile on his face, just a stare that would go deep into your soul if you were looking at him in person. A white jersey clung to his body, and a word written in royal blue that Ali could not make out. His stats were just off to the right of the picture, and it was obvious that he was a baseball player. RBI, Bats/Pitches, and DOB were just a few.

“Niall Horan,” Miranda’s voice was sharp, causing everyone to look up at her. “Up and coming baseball player for the River City Ravens.” The sounds of pen on paper caught Ali’s attention as she leaned over and dug through bag to grab her notepad and pen. Slightly cursing at herself for not getting it out earlier. Placing it on the table, she scribbled down what Miranda had just said. “American’s Past Time, a sport that everyone loves and follows. A sport that people want to know the players on a personal level. However, with every good athlete that is new there is always a past. Some good and some not so good. Which is what I want. Which is what we need to be on top this coming up year. But first….” Ali was writing down everything she said. Some people across from her were like her and scrambling to write everything and some were just listening to her ramble on about his generic past, home life, family…the basic of every pro athlete.

The only that stuck out to her was the fact that he moved from Ireland to the United States when he was five. Odd enough for a good story, but not out of the ordinary when it came to baseball. She decided to block Miranda out for the rest of the meeting and doodle flowers on her notepad. Ali was almost positive that she wasn’t the only not listening, but she knew that she would not get this story. It was reserved for someone with more experience. Someone who knew how to go undercover and make people tell them what they want. Something that Ali couldn’t do if her life depend on it, and Miranda knew this. Lying to get what she wanted was not Ali’s strong point. Being honest, and doing things to please people was her strong point.

Shaking her pen a couple of the time as the ink was becoming faint on the paper from doodling so many flowers on the page. Reaching over into the middle of the table for a pen, Ali froze when Miranda’s voice caught her off guard.

“Alison Hastings will be the one to get this story,” Miranda spoke. Ali’s head jerked up, and the cup of pens spilling all over the table as she looked at Miranda. A sly smile on Miranda’s face let Ali know that this was her point all along. To prove to Miranda that she could lie, cheat, and figure out a way to get people to tell her the truth. Her heart started to race, and she swore that she could pass out right then and there as a couple of more pens fell into the floor. The embarrassment of the pens falling over was the least of her worries.

“Alison, I take it that you were paying attention and that’s why you needed another pen?”

A lump started to develop in Ali’s throat while she covered up her notepad with her arm. “Y-y-yes.”

“That’s what I thought.” Miranda pushed her tiny frame glasses back onto her nose. “I’m going to assume that you can handle this mission.” All Ali could do was shake her head, and a small smile appeared on Miranda’s face. “Good. You all are dismissed.” She waved them on while gather some books up off the table.

 

Shoving her notepad into her bag, Ali pushed herself up out of her seat and made her way towards the door. “Oh, Alison,” Miranda’s voice allowed Ali to freeze once again. “You are probably wondering why I picked you.” Turning on her heels, Ali became eye to eye with Miranda. She knew exactly what she was thinking, and it made Ali feel uneasy about the whole thing. “See, you are around the same age as him, I do believe. You are twenty-two right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what I thought.” She paused for a moment, soaking in her master plan to get the story before everyone else. “A year old than him.” Her thin finger taking wrapping on of Ali’s curls around it. “You see I can’t have any of my older employees taking on this task. As he is only twenty-one after all. And I need the right person to make him fall in love. To get close to him. To see what he is hiding that everyone in the world wants to know.” She took a step closer to Ali and her hear started race from the nerves. “You are the right person for this. You are young, you are talented and you can make him fall head over heels in love with you. However, don’t fall for him or else this task will be impossible. And you will lose your job if you don’t get the story.”

Ali swallowed at the thought of falling in love, but more so over losing her job. “What exactly is the task?”

Miranda narrowed her eyes at Ali, causing her to take a step back and the curl falling from Miranda’s finger. “It is very obvious that he is hiding something,” she hissed. “Something that happened in past. It is only a matter of time before everyone knows. And I want to publish that story first,” her voice was harsh. Ali realized just how badly she wanted this story. How badly Miranda needed to stay on top. “I don’t care if you have to say in Texas for four months. I want that story.” Ali nodded her head, not knowing what to say. She was speechless at the fact that Miranda would want a story over an athlete. Unless someone else was already on the story, and she refuse to let someone else have it first. Would that mean that Ali would have to compete to get him to fall in love with her. What if someone else from another magazine appealed to him more. “By the way you leave in three hours.”

Ali’s eyes glanced down at her watch seeing the time. Nine in the morning. Which meant that she had exactly one hour to pack before leaving. The only good thing was that they were two hours behind New York. “What the hell?” Ali muttered under her breath.

“I heard that,” Miranda’s voice echoed through the building.

*************************************************************************

There were only two good things that came out of having an hour to pack. One being that Ali was not alone on this assignment. Miranda decided to send along Payson, another junior journalist, to accompany Ali on this mission. She wasn’t going to complain over it, since her and Payson had been getting along the past couple of months. And she was grateful that Miranda had sent along someone else to help with the assignment. However, Miranda had made it very clear that it was strictly Ali’s assignment and not Payson’s. For Miranda feared that Payson’s crazy personality would ruin the whole mission.

Which sounded cause to Ali, because out of the two of them, she would have picked Payson. Payson was tall, blonde, blue eyes, and athletic. Basically what every athletic guy loved in a girl. Ali, on the other hand, had auburn hair, green/grey eyes, and freckles all over her face. And it did not matter how many times Ali tried to cover her freckles with concealer and foundation, they always managed to stick out. She would joke around that God put her together like a Mr. Potato head toy. Her chest was not proportionate to the rest of her body and she always thought that she looked funny, but somehow she managed to pull it off.

The other was that Miranda was going to pay for everything and by everything, she meant the loft, airplane travel, the whole freaking thing. Which Ali was grateful for, but it also made her realize just how badly Miranda wanted this story. This only added to Ali nerves that if she was to mess up, her job was on the line. But if she was to be successful at this mission then Ali would move up in ranks.

The one thing that Miranda said to Ali was still playing her mind. You are to make him fall in love with you. Don’t fall in love with him. It seemed like an easy task to her, because she knew that she wasn’t going into it for that. Ali wanted this story and she was determined to get it.

Ali tilted her head over, gathering her hair to pull into a high ponytail. Taking the elastic off from around her wrist, she pulled her hair through it a couple of times before pulling at the base it and letting her hair rest. She looked herself over in the mirror, her jeans hugging just right on her hip bones, making it look like she had some kind of hips. Which she didn’t. She tugged at the ends of her shirt to make it meet her pants.

“You do realize we are going to the practice field, right?” Ali turned around to see Payson leaning against the door, her arms folded across her chest.

“Yeah,” Ali turned her attention back to the mirror, “but I have to make him fall for me just to get this article even going.” She sighed, tugging back at her shirt to try to make it fit the way she wanted it to.

A low chuckle come from Payson. “You don’t have to do it the first meeting. Just be yourself. According to Miranda you have three months to get the story. That’s enough time.” Her hand rested against Ali’s shoulder, causing Ali narrow her eyes at Payson for not liking her reasoning “Really, Ali. Do you not want this?”

“No. I do,” Ali whispered shaking her head.

“Good. Because you don’t want to be known as the girl who didn’t get this story,” she winked while waving her finger in Ali’s face.

“Are you really quoting The Hills on me?” Ali moved around the room, gathering her phone off the nightstand before pushing past Payson and entering the main room. She snatched her jacket off the back of the couch and could hear Payson’s feet right behind.

“No—well, yes. But it’s true, Ali.” Payson took a step in front of Ali, blocking anyway of getting around her. “I know you. I know deep down that this isn’t the way that you wanted to get the story. But you have to remember he probably won’t talk to anyone unless he is heads over heels in love with another reporter undercover. Then you might have some competition.” Ali shook her head while pulling her jacket on.

She loved Payson to death for the short amount of time that they had known each other, but there personalities were totally different. Payson was good at playing the damsel in distress to get the secret out of Niall. Ali, on the other hand, would end up taking the whole three months or more to get out of him and by then someone else might already have it. That’s what she was afraid. Other people like her, undercover, trying to get the story

“Stop overthinking it. It’s simple and you can make it happen.” Payson’s arm was around her shoulder. “How many other people have Miranda Clark pulling strings for them to be social media interns?”

“Zero to none.”

“Exactly. This story is yours,” Payson giggled while dragging Ali out the front door of their loft. “Plus, in order to figure out if he is going to fall you. We have to meet him first.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Ali muttered underneath her breath.

“Don’t be! You have me to make everything all better!”

“Oh joy.”

“Hush it.”

********

Ali’s jacket didn’t do much good at keeping the cold, late March air out, because by the time her and Payson’s tour of the stadium was done they were shivering. She was to cold weather, but Ali thought that in Texas it wasn’t supposed to be this cold. You could hear her teeth clattering together as she tried to keep your mouth shut. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she walked beside Payson as their “new boss” told them about their job.

“You guys in charge of making sure that they guys don’t run over on interviews before and after the game.” Ali was expecting it to be like any typical baseball practice, and that’s exactly what it was. Infielders working on drills, outfielders working on catching pop flys, and pitchers pitching. Her eyes scanned over the field, when they landed on Niall’s back. Horan in royal blue letter running across his back and a twenty-three underneath it. “Also, Miranda told me everything. Don’t ruin it or else the guys won’t let it go. And you’ll lose your job with both of us.”

“We won’t,” Payson was the first to assure him of this. Ali just nodded her in agreement.

“Feel free to wait for them to finish before you introduce yourself. Normally, I wouldn’t let the others do this, but you guys aren’t like the rest.”

Payson had to pick the seats closest to the field for them to sit at. “I bet it won’t last much longer,” Payson’s elbow rubbed against Ali’s. She turned to look at her, a blank expression written on face since she had no idea what Payson was talking about. “You’ve never played sports before?”

“Do you know me?” Ali eye’s glanced over at her and then back to the field. “I can’t walk a straight line to save my life and I can barely handle carrying four cups of coffee across the street.” Payson’s laugh was loud that Ali swore she heard it echoing through the stadium. Shaking her head, Ali forget just how loud Payson could really be.

“Will you hush?!” Ali snapped at her, clasping her own hand over Payson’s mouth, who muttering a soft sorry as Ali turned her attention back to the field. She saw someone wth dark hair guy elbow Niall a couple of times before he turned around to pointed towards them. Even from far away Ali decided that he looked much better than his picture. His leg muscles well defined, his practice shirt hugged his body in all the right places. Even to the point where you could see the outline of his abs and the V that ran down his hips. He lifted his cap, running his hands through his hair, brown roots being exposed as he gave Ali a soft smile before turning back around.

“Looks like it might be easier than you think,” Payson nudge Ali slightly in the ribs. 

“I doubt that.”

********************************************************************************

They sat there for another thirty minutes, and Payson rambled on about everything that was going on and how things worked in baseball. Why certain calls have to be made, and the basic as she called it. The more she talked, the more Ali tuned her out, and focused on Niall. He wasn’t as cocky as Miranda had made him out to be on the field. Yes, he was good. Yes, he was impressive for a twenty-one year old. And yes, everyone was going to be talking about him sooner or later. If it didn’t make sense to Ali before, it did now. Everyone was going to be talking about this kid. Everyone would want his background story, and she was to get it first.

It wasn’t until Payson stopped talking that Ali finally figured out why Miranda had allowed her to come. She had played the sports in high school and college. She knew the in’s and out’s of the sport and Ali knew absolutely nothing about it. Maybe it just wasn’t Ali’s assignment as much as it was Payson, but it was Ali’s to get close to Niall.

Payson jumped out of her seat at the players started to walk out of the dugout and leave the field. Allowing Ali to follow behind her to the field while she tried to find the right words to say, but they weren’t coming to her that didn’t make her sound like a total loser.

 _Wait, what was I saying? I’m twenty-two, I graduated from NYU and apparently made a good impression on Miranda. So, this should be a piece of cake._ She thought to herself.

Payson was practically standing right next to the dugout, watching players walk out and chatting to a couple. She was perfect at fibbing a little and telling them what she going to do. This only made Ali that much more nervous about the whole. However, she didn’t have time to think about as a soft tap on her back, caused her to turn around. She was face to face with Niall. His eyes were even more blue in person, and little beads of sweat dripped down his face.

“Niall. Nice to meet you,” he said with a grin, holding out his hand for Ali to take. She barley smiled at him, but took his hand and shook it. “And your name is?”

“Um—it’s Al…”

“Alex! and I'm Paxton” Payson intervened just in time to stop Ali from saying her real name. Niall’s furrowed his eyebrows together while looking at both of them.

“Yeah. It’s Alex,” she said to reassure him. “Alex Hasting.”

“I could have sworn that Jon said your name was Allison.” He was catching on, and Ali was starting to feel nervous again. “But he probably didn’t hear right. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Ah, the ladies that will be taking care of us,” a voice came from behind Niall before a guy with brunette hair appeared. He was taller than Niall, a little bit more muscle, and facial hair barley showing on his chin. “The name’s Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you,” Payson was the one that struck up a conversation with him before Ali could answer.

Ali and Niall both looked at each. They were awkward with the whole situation of what was going on, and Payson’s loud laughter didn’t help any. She was tempted to cover her hands with her face and just pretend that she wasn’t here right now. Nothing was going as planned, and she figured it would just be easier to tell Niall why the real reason she was here. Then Niall mouthed “he’s a talker” and his hand opening and closing, which allowed Ali to relax a little and laugh.

“You guys can come down to the pub tonight with a couple of us. Ask some questions, get to know us better,” Tyler finally broke the silence between Niall and Ali. “You know, we have to know the ladies that will be taking care of before and after the game. What did you say, Niall?” Niall ran his hands through his hair a couple of times while looking at him.

”Well?” Tyler asked again. When he didn’t answer right away, she looked over at him, and noticed that his hand was balled up into a tiny fist. Ali figured that it must be a nervous habit of his. However she made mental note to not let any of his body movements go unnoticed while she was asking questions. It was starting to become apparent that he wasn’t very good at hiding things.

“I guess I can,” he finally spoke, but barley loud enough for anyone to hear.

Tyler turned the other guys that were still in the dugout. “Niall’s coming out with us tonight!” He hollered loud enough for anyone around to hear. A couple cheers could be heard, causing Niall to laugh a little, but it was a nervous laugh. “I don’t think that your little lady will be jealous about one night out.”

Niall’s head whipped around to Tyler, glaring at him. Ali looked over Niall then Tyler before turning back to Niall “No. I’m allowed to have one night out,” he snapped. Payson and Ali exchanged looks. There was something that he was hiding, and that right there made it apparent to Ali.

“Okay, man. We will see how well you last tonight. It’s been a couple of years,” Tyler smirked while patting Niall on the back before leaving.

_Little Lady. Couple of years. What could it mean? Ali decided to take not on it._

“So, you’re married?” She asked him, wanting to know who “little lady” was.

Niall’s laughed echoed through the whole stadium and he brought his hands to his chest. “Are you kidding? I’m twenty-one.”

“You have a girlfriend? Someone like you has to have a girlfriend!” Payson added. And for the second time within twenty-four hours, Ali was glad that she was there to help with things.

“No. I’m loving the single life right now,” he chuckled, his hand resting on Ali’s shoulder. His fingers giving it a soft squeeze, almost like she was crazy to believe that he would be taken. Ali hardly knew the guy, but he was already giving her goose bumps with his touch. Maybe it was the whole soon-to-be-famous baseball player that was making her like this. But his looks helped along as well.

Ali shook her head a couple of times before furrowing her eyebrows together. “Then what did he mean by little lady?

“It’s an inside joke,” Niall reassured her. “I wouldn’t worry about it for now. When the time comes-well, if the time comes I’ll tell you guys. Pretty funny actually.” He laughed, a deep low laugh, but this time it didn’t echo. Almost like he was trying too hard to keep whoever little lady is a secret.

“Newsworthy funny?” Ali know had the same smirk that Miranda had given her before she left.

“What do you mean newsworthy?”

“As in it’s something that people should know.”

“I thought that you were just a social media rep?”

“We are,” Payson was at it again. “We just want to make sure that something that isn’t newsworthy doesn’t get leaked.”

“Well in that case. It depends on what you call newsworthy, Miss Ali.” He nodded his head before turning around and walking off towards the other end of the stadium, and then he was gone. No laughter, no smile. It was the face that he had in his profile that Miranda had handed out two days ago.

Ali turned towards Payson. Not only was she confused about the whole thing, but Miranda had to be right about hiding something. There were plenty of things that were running through Ali’s mind as to what he could be keeping from people. Everyone has secrets, everyone is good at hiding them. 

“What was that about?”

“You mean the whole little lady thing?” Ali asked her, her eyebrows still furrowed together and a crease line forming from overthinking.

“No, Ali. I mean the whole I’m sexy as hell future baseball player star,” she looked at Ali, mocking her face. “Yes, I mean that little lady thing!”

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Ali glanced back over at Payson. ““Honestly, I have no idea.” 

“What if he is having an affair with someone who is married!”

“Payson really?” Ali rolled her eyes at Payson. Sometimes Payson’s imagination was really good at running wild, and this was one of those times. However, as much as Ali wanted to smack that little smirk off of Payson’s face; she thought maybe Payson was right.

“He’s hot!” She basically yelled while throwing her hands up. “Plus, he’s good at baseball. I wouldn’t blame girls if they threw themselves at him.”

Ali shook her head while covering her face with her hands. Nothing wanting to believe that someone who just started is already having an affair with. “He said it was an inside joke.”

She shook her head a couple of times, almost in disbelief. “Everyone knows that when I guy says it’s an inside joke it normally means more than just that.”

“I think that is just for anyone in general, Payson.” 

Her hand landed on Ali’s shoulder and she tilted her heads towards Ali. “Either way. You know he is hiding something now. Which means that you’ve got story.” 

And Ali knew that Payson and Miranda were right. He was hiding something, and it was something that he didn’t want people to know. However, something told Ali that it wasn’t going to be as easy as what she thought. People who are good at hiding things, are even better at pretending that they don’t exist. 

It was right then and there that she decided that if she wanted the truth she was going to have to get Niall to fall in love with her. Even if it meant that she was going to get hurt herself.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you have any suggestions or comments, I would love to know them! :)


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